NEWPORT, Ky. -- Proposed bus route cuts could negatively affect seniors living in Newport, some residents said.
The Transportation Authority of Northern Kentucky plans to cut low-volume bus routes later this summer. The Isabella Street route -- home to a senior living space -- is on the chopping block.
"They need to think about everyone, not just focus on the one money-making situation," Carrie Williams, a Newport resident with a foot injury, said. "They need to think about every one and how they live and how they get around."
TANK General Manager Andrew Aiello said the transportation authority doesn't like to cut routes, but "it's a matter of volume."
The changes are meant to accommodate people living and working in higher-volume areas in Northern Kentucky -- including the airport, home of Amazon's new cargo hub, expected to bring 2,700 new jobs to the area.
Dorothy Mingua, a lifelong Newport resident, said she understands TANK’s economic position but hopes the organization will also consider hers. Mingua depends on public transportation to get around.
“They probably consider us the poor people down here compared to up there on the east side,” she said. “I need the bus more than the Levee."
The first public hearing on the matter is Wednesday at 5:30 at the TANK headquarters in Fort Wright.
